Eczema, known in medical terms as dermatitis, is a group of skin conditions that make the skin itchy, red, dry and cracked. The most common type is atopic dermatitis. Dyshidrotic eczema causes tiny itchy blisters on the palms and fingers. Homeopathic treatment works on the immune sensitivity behind the flare-ups. Book a consultation with Dr. Chhavi Bansal today.
What is Eczema?
Eczema is the everyday name for dermatitis, which simply means inflamed skin. It isn't one disease. It's a group of conditions that share the same core problem: a skin barrier that doesn't hold moisture well and an immune system that overreacts.
The itch is the worst part. People scratch, the skin breaks, it gets more inflamed, and it itches more. Many people tell us the night itch is what finally made them seek help.
And eczema is rarely just skin deep. It often runs alongside asthma, hay fever or food sensitivities, which is why treating only the rash tends to give only temporary relief.
Types of Eczema
- Atopic dermatitis : the most common type, often starting in childhood and linked with asthma and allergies
- Dyshidrotic eczema (pompholyx) : tiny, deep, very itchy blisters on the palms, fingers and sometimes soles, often worse with heat, sweating and stress
- Contact dermatitis : a reaction where the skin touches something, like detergent, nickel, cement or hair dye
- Seborrhoeic dermatitis : red, scaly patches on the scalp, eyebrows, sides of the nose and ears
- Discoid eczema : round or oval itchy patches on the arms and legs
- Varicose eczema : dry, itchy skin on the lower legs, linked to poor blood flow in the leg veins
Doctors also split eczema into two groups. Exogenous eczema is triggered by something outside the body, like irritants, allergens or sunlight. Endogenous eczema comes from inside, from an inherited tendency to allergy called atopy.
Symptoms of Eczema
It varies by type, but these are the common signs:
Causes of Eczema
There's no single cause. Usually it's a mix of these:
- Weak skin barrier : the skin loses moisture easily and lets irritants in
- Overactive immune response : the body reacts strongly to things that shouldn't bother it
- Family history : eczema, asthma and hay fever tend to run in families
- Irritants and allergens : soaps, detergents, dust mites, pollen, wool, metals
- Heat and sweat : a major trigger for dyshidrotic eczema in Indian summers
- Stress : one of the most common and most ignored triggers for flare-ups
If Eczema is Left Untreated
- Thick, leathery skin from constant scratching (lichenification)
- Bacterial infection in broken skin
- Eye problems when eczema affects the eyelids
- Poor sleep from night itching
- Stress and embarrassment that make flare-ups worse
How Homeopathy Treats Eczema
The usual treatment is moisturisers, steroid creams and antihistamines. Steroid creams calm a flare quickly and have their place. The trouble starts when they're used for months, the skin thins, and the eczema comes back as soon as they're stopped.
Homeopathy works differently. It treats the immune sensitivity and the constitutional tendency behind the eczema, so flare-ups become fewer and milder over time rather than just being suppressed each time.
- Reduces itching, including the night itch
- Calms redness, oozing and blistering
- Works on the tendency to flare, not just the current patch
- Helps with related allergies like hay fever
- No steroids, no side effects
- Safe for children and adults
The treatment is completely personalised. Dr. Chhavi Bansal looks at the type of eczema, where it appears, what triggers it, what makes the itch better or worse, and your overall health, then prescribes a remedy for you specifically.
Dr. Chhavi's Approach to Eczema
She'll want to know your triggers in detail. Seasons, foods, soaps, stress, sweat. Two people with eczema on the hands can have completely different triggers.
Alongside the medicine, she guides you on moisturising, mild soaps, cotton clothing and avoiding your specific triggers.
One honest note. Please don't stop a steroid cream suddenly without talking to your doctor, as the eczema can rebound. And if you get painful, spreading blisters with fever, get seen in person urgently.